My sincerest thanks to all of you who attended the Harry Allen show Wed, Dec 26th, 2012, at Jimmy Mak’s – you fueled the music. It was great to reconnect with Harry again after so many years. We both recalled playing in Oregon 9-10 times together from 1995-2005, but haven’t been able to line up anything since. Many thanks to Ralph Lodewick for starting it all back in the 1990’s, and a special thank you to Rebecca Kilgore for bringing Harry Allen out this time around – I can think of no better way to end the year than continuing to share bandstands with Harry.

Harry started off the night with “But Not For Me”, and Mel, Ed, and myself instinctively started off the tune following Harry’s countdown with a variation of an interlude made famous from the great pianist Ahmad Jamal’s version of the same tune. The room was very attentive and came Read More...

Here's a funny moment captured one night at Jimmy Mak's.
The Mel Brown Quartet is playing Tony Pacini's composition "Blues For El Cid" which uses a phrygian chord progression.
The intro ( to be done by guitar for a Spanish sounding effect ), seemed to need something, so, Mel Brown (drums), Ed Bennett (bass), and Tony Pacini (piano)
reached into their pockets in unison and used their car keys as chimes during Dan Balmer's (guitar)
interpretation of the intro.

Once you're past the intro the tune kicks up into a samba. - enjoy

About M.B.Q.

"If mainstream jazz is your bag, the Mel Brown Quartet
brings you bop, ballads, blues and scintillating
originals making you glad you have ears! With over 100
years of collective experience, here's a group that
knows the tradition and brings it boldly to the
bandstand on every gig"

-George Fendel
(George Fendel is a jazz historian & columnist for JazzsceneMagazine who can be heard weekly on jazz radio KMHD 89.1 FM).

"The Mel Brown Quartet came together in the fall of
2002 at Jimmy Mak's, a popular jazz club in Portland,
Oregon. All seasoned jazzmen the group has become a
mainstay in the Portland jazz scene playing to
enthusiastic, full capacity crowds at every appearance.
The quartet, Tony Pacini on piano, Ed Bennett on bass,
Dan Balmer on guitar and legendary drummer Mel Brown
present on this recording a variety of tasty original
compositions and fresh takes of time-honored standards
in the jazz tradition.

The band members, all bandleaders in their own right,
look forward to Wednesday night when the quartet
performs at Jimmy Mak's. Pianist/musical director Tony
Pacini sets the stage for us: "Dan shows up with his
guitar, Ed with his bass, Mel with his stickbag and I
show up with my music and piano mic. Tonight the room
looks full. Dan tells me he would like to play Ed's
tune Waltz For Theo (written for Ed's youngest son). A
fan comes up to me and asks how was my weekend. In
response I pull from my book Girl Talk, a popular tune
from the 60's I had arranged that Sunday. Next I select
Oldest Son, an original composition written for Mel by
Dan. The band takes the stage. Bartender J.D. welcomes
the audience promising an evening of world-class jazz.
One of us counts the tune off; the band hits and here
we go."

The Mel Brown Quartet came together in the fall of
2002 at Jimmy Mak's, a popular jazz club in Portland,
Oregon. All seasoned jazzmen, the group has become a
mainstay in the Portland jazz scene playing to
enthusiastic, full capacity crowds at every
appearance.

Guitarist-Dan Balmer:
Considered the finest jazz guitarist in Oregon, Dan
was the first guitarist and youngest individual to be
inducted into the Jazz Society of Oregon's Hall of
Fame. Dan has performed or recorded with jazz legends
Joey DeFrancesco, Airto, Red Mitchell, Bill Mays,
Steve Smith, Pat Martino, Bud Shank and Joe
LaBarbara. As a popular bandleader and sideman Dan's
unique guitar sound graces over 70 recordings.

Bassist-Ed Bennett:
Long considered one of the West Coast's premiere
string bass players Ed has worked, toured and
recorded with numerous legendary jazz figures
including Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Ritchie Cole,
Ernestine Anderson, Joe Henderson and Pete Cristlieb.
Ed has been featured on two Grammy nominated
recordings; Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band
"Tanuki's Night Out" and Carmen McRae "At The Great
American Music Hall."

Pianist-Tony Pacini:
The jazz piano artistry of Tony Pacini has been
enthusiastically enjoyed by nightclub and festival
audiences throughout the West Coast as well as in his
hometown of Portland, Oregon. In addition to his own
trio, Tony has performed with Antonio Hart, Benny Golson, Bill Henderson, Bud Shank, Byron Stripling,
Carl Sanders, Chuck Israels, Chuck Redd, Curtis Fuller, Dan Faehnle, Dee Daniels, Dick Berk, Ernie Andrews,
Hadley Caliman, Harry Allen, Leroy Vinenegar, Marlena Shaw, Mary
Stallings, Nancy King, Rebecca Kilgore, Ritchie Cole and Terell Stafford.
Additionally, Pacini is an On Air Host with KMHD Jazz Radio 89.1 fm Portland. An arranger
and composer Tony is the musical director of the Mel
Brown Quartet.

Drummer-Mel Brown:
Mel performed with Motown legends Diana Ross and The
Temptations before applying his distinctive style and
consummate skill to the jazz idiom. In addition to
leading several high profile combos, Mel's rock-solid
time and high-energy solos have made him the drummer
of choice for jazz superstars Leroy Vinnegar, Monty
Alexander, Teddy Edwards, Lou Donaldson and Joey
DeFrancesco. While on tour in Portland, visiting
musicians from jazz to pop to rock find their way to
Jimmy Mak's where Mel rules the room three nights a
week.

For additional press-kit materials please email your
request to: tony@tonypacini.com
Include the name of your concert/venue in your email
heading.

2012: M.B.Q. CDs Reprinted, And A New CD Scheduled For Early 2013.
Due to popular demand, M.B.Q. (Mel Brown Quartet) has reprinted two CDs on the Saphu Record label. "Girl Talk" (the quartet's first release), and "Live: An
Evening With The Mel Brown Quartet" are now back in circulation. The band (under direction of pianist/musical director Tony Pacini) will produce a new CD in early 2013 following the format
of the success of their first release ("Girl Talk"), utilizing three original compositions from Pacini, Balmer, and Bennett, and, including three highly arranged standards from Pacini's extensive book.
Please follow this website, and/or Saphu Records Website as the process of producing the next M.B.Q. title unfolds.

2006: Live An Evening With The Mel Brown Quartet CD.
Instead of our regular performance at Jimmy Mak's on March 1st,
the Mel Brown Quartet spent an exciting evening in the recording studio performing / recording
our new CD in front of a live audience. Many, many thanks to our fans who joined us in the studio in March,
and at our recent release event on August 2nd; your enthusiasm made the music flow.
Thank you Maurice Unis and Classic Pianos of Portland for providing us with a beautiful sounding new "S" series Yamaha piano for our CD release event.
The Quartet and audience were truly inspired by such a wonderful instrument.

This CD will explain the band's continuing popularity over the long haul.
It opens with the Pacini composition, Dandyish, a sprightly piece with an easy to remember theme.
Duke Ellington's Prelude to a Kiss gets an unfamiliar rapid fire treatment from both Pacini and Balmer,
which the live audience loved, interrupting with cheers and applause.

Charlie Parker's Yardbird Suite is beneficiary of Pacini's piano with a nice share of block chords
and his usual sparkling right hand.
Ed Bennett contributes a melodic bass solo, followed by the swinging Balmer. It's great to see and hear Balmer's straight ahead chops.

Balmer shows the band's appreciation of club owner Jimmy Mak with his tune, One for Jimmy Mak.
Brown leads off with a very brief drum roll, and then it's an off and running.

There is no weak link in either the band or the recording. It is solid through all 10 cuts,
some of which include Smile, Gone With the Wind, Ticondeep, May Song and more."

CD review read below.
"This group just keeps getting tighter and tighter. After a sizzling opening set at the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, it's only a matter of time
before they're in demand in New York and beyond. Brown's buoyant rhythms propel this energetic and well planned live disc which was
thoughtfully recorded with an audience in the studio at Kung Fu Bakery. The result captures the same intimate immediacy as they have
at Jimmy Mak's every week, but with better recording capabilities, so we get to hear the tick of Mel's high hat, the intricate picking
by bassist Ed Bennett, the chordal punch of Tony Pacini's piano, and the fluid, melodic guitar lines by Dan Balmer all with studio crispness.
It starts with the heavy swing of Pacini's "Dandyish" and goes on a journey through the band's favorites, including the rapid-fire arrangement
of "Prelude to a Kiss," and other originals by Balmer, Bennett and Pacini, including the freewheeling "Ticondeep" by Bennett.
It's a fantastic album."